Midwestern State hassles Hounds

February 3, 2008

Freedom New Mexico

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Midwestern State didn’t miss many shots Saturday night, and most of the ones the Mustangs didn’t make, they rebounded.

Midwestern shot 55 percent, including 11-of-21 on 3-pointers, and grabbed 25 offensive rebounds en route to a 40-20 domination of the glass in a 78-67 Lone Star Conference South Division men’s victory over Eastern New Mexico University.

Junior forward Trajinski Grigsby finished with 14 points and led the way on the boards for Midwestern (10-10, 2-4 South) with 16 rebounds, including seven offensive caroms. Meantime, senior guard Chris Davis scored 21 points and senior guard Jeremy Ford came off the bench for 19 points for the Mustangs, while junior guard Nolan Richardson IV — grandson of the former Tulsa and Arkansas basketball coach — set a school record with 17 assists.

Trailing 7-5 after a 3-pointer by Midwestern’s Chris Davis, the Hounds went on an 11-0 run featuring five points from Redman-Trotter and four from Travis Cooper for a 16-7 lead with 13 minutes left in the half.

The Mustangs responded with a 13-0 run, highlighted by two 3-pointers from Ford, to pull in front 24-18 with 7 1/2 minutes to go in the half and they never relinquished the lead.

Davis’ basket less than a minute into the second half pushed the Mustangs’ lead to 10, kicking off a 10-0 surge.

Midwestern led 51-32 with 15 minutes left and still maintained a 16-point margin with five minutes left. The Hounds put together an 9-2 rally to get their deficit under double figures with three minutes to go, but could not get any closer.

Christopher Reay, a 6-foot-9 senior center, added 15 points for the Mustangs, shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line. He also grabbed eight rebounds.